central valley Archives - Page 25 of 26

Historic move: Fresno River rights to be decided

October 30, 2020

• by Lois Henry

If all you’ve ever seen of the Fresno River is through Madera as you drive over it on Highway 99, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s just a weed-infested, shopping cart collector rather than a real river. But there’s a lot to this unobtrusive waterway, which just made history as the first river in 40…

Friant-Kern Canal fix approved over concerns the plan isn’t fully baked

October 28, 2020

• by Lois Henry

The Friant Water Authority on Thursday approved the final environmental review for a massive project to fix a 33-mile segment of the Friant-Kern Canal despite continued questions about funding and other concerns expressed by some Friant contractors. One water manager compared the plan to several bungled construction projects, including California’s High Speed Rail and a…

Groundwater • Rivers

Locals speak up for the Kern River at the State Water Board

October 23, 2020

• by Lois Henry

Love was overflowing for the Kern River Tuesday at the State Water Resources Control Board’s monthly meeting. A slew of Bakersfield locals told board members how much an actual, wet river means for residents. Speakers asked board members to make the Kern a priority and finally allocate unappropriated water on the river that has been…

Drinking Water • Groundwater

FREE! water quality testing for domestic well owners

October 21, 2020

• by Lois Henry

The U.S. Geological Survey is sampling in the Modesto, Turlock, and Merced area. For more information visit go.usa.gov/xfA85 or contact Jen Shelton at jshelton@usgs.gov or (916) 278-3068. Para informacion en espanol, llame a Robert Kent, (619) 436-8285….

Conservation • Groundwater • Water Markets

“Madness and arrogance” blamed for one lawsuit against desert groundwater agency

October 1, 2020

• by Lois Henry

Two lawsuits accusing the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority of ramming through a plan that ignores water rights and, according to one plaintiff, is intended to “destroy agriculture” were filed this week. At issue is a controversial $2,000-per-acre-foot fee approved by the authority last month that would be charged to certain groundwater users over a…

Federal System • Friant-Kern Canal

Crews to get water flowing from area ravaged by Creek Fire

October 1, 2020

• by Lois Henry

Southern California Edison crews will be able to restart some releases from lakes in the San Joaquin River watershed after the Creek Fire overran much of the area through September. Edison spokesman Reggie Kumar said portions of the Big Creek facility went back online Sept. 29 but restoration has been hampered partly because of extremely…

Federal System • Groundwater • Rivers • State System

Happy 50th “Kern Riversary!” 1970 vote brought river into public hands

September 30, 2020

• by Lois Henry

Fifty years ago this week, the Bakersfield City Council committed an audaciously historic act. On Monday evening Sept. 28, 1970, council members decided to sue Tenneco West for a slice of the Kern River. “The shock was great to many, but from that day forward we had their attention and cooperation,” states the “Kern River…

Federal System • Friant-Kern Canal

Dominoes from the massive Creek Fire teetering over San Joaquin Valley farmers

September 29, 2020

• by Lois Henry

When the Creek Fire erupted on Sept. 4 and chewed through the forest toward Southern California Edison’s Big Creek power system, little did anyone know how that might affect grape growers in Delano nearly a month later. But the historic fire has put water managers along the eastern flank of the San Joaquin Valley, who…

Drinking Water

Last minute loan keeps drinking water projects afloat

September 22, 2020

• by Lois Henry

Small, failing drinking water systems got a funding life preserver among a flurry of budget bills at the chaotic end of the California legislative session. Drinking water advocates had fretted the Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience (SAFER) program, intended to help struggling water systems in mostly poor, rural areas, would fall victim…

Federal System • Friant-Kern Canal • Groundwater

20-mile replacement canal is preferred fix for the sagging Friant-Kern Canal

September 19, 2020

• by Lois Henry

A rapid-fire review of potential fixes to the Friant-Kern Canal favors building a replacement canal for 20 miles alongside the existing canal where land subsidence has caused it to sag, severely restricting water flow, according to final environmental documents released Friday. The environmental documents, which looked at the project under both state and federal environmental…

NEWS

Historic move: Fresno River rights to be decided

Friant-Kern Canal fix approved over concerns the plan isn’t fully baked

Locals speak up for the Kern River at the State Water Board

FREE! water quality testing for domestic well owners

“Madness and arrogance” blamed for one lawsuit against desert groundwater agency

Crews to get water flowing from area ravaged by Creek Fire

Happy 50th “Kern Riversary!” 1970 vote brought river into public hands

Dominoes from the massive Creek Fire teetering over San Joaquin Valley farmers

Last minute loan keeps drinking water projects afloat

20-mile replacement canal is preferred fix for the sagging Friant-Kern Canal

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